Rune Factory: Blood and Memories
by Dark Glass01
Summary: Everybody knows there are two sides to every story: and the monster slain on one side may just be a hero on the other. When Sharance is hit with a bout of mass disappearances, Micah set out to find them, only to stumble on an ancient village of monsters, trying to fight against the encroachment of a human village on their last lands in the north. Currently accepted OC's.
1. Welcome to Sal-Novo

**Rune Factory: Blood & Memories**

Author Notes: Slightly less then one year ago, I began to write a story about a wonderful idea I had gotten in my head; a Rune Factory adventure about the monster races and Norad's history through a rivalry between two towns, mediated by everybody's favorite half-monster . However, I ran into a bit of a bottleneck; I found I had far too many OC's to design, and had trouble fitting them into my story. So… even though I promised myself I would never do this, I really do want to get back into writing, and so would politely request OC offerings to help bring the deep world and history of the Rune Factory world to life. So, what would such a request entail? Well… here is the plot.

_The nation of Norad is well-known as a place of magic and mystery, where The First Forest clings tight to the mortal realm, her vast wildernesses unexplored, and amnesic farmers with great potential constantly stumbling into isolated villages. However, for the village of Sharance, the disappearance of many of their young women during the night, robbing them of their memories, is far too much for the local hero, Micah to ignore… especially when one of the victims is the woman who saved his life, Sharah. Seeking out across the Kingdom to locate her, he stumbles upon an ancient city, hidden in the bluffs along the northern parts of Norad; a ruin housing a village of monsters! There, finding an amnesic Raven, Micah is sucked into the city of Sal Novo and its troubles, from local drama, to a villain from a nearby castle who seems hell-bent on banishing monsters from their homes and even trying to turn them into humans! Can Micah recover the memories of the Sharance villagers… and perhaps find his complete memories? Can the feud between monster and human be stopped? And, in all of this, could he perhaps find the truth about the greater world outside their little villages?_

So, where do OC's fit into this? Well, Sal Novo, City of Monsters, requires residents if it is to play host to Micah during his adventure and have secrets and events to spring on him (And, perhaps with wife not remembering they're married, somebody to tug at his heart). Below is an application, but I do have a few ground rules.

First and foremost, no Humans! Or, at least, no humans that aren't in a very subservient position and temperament. Sal Novo, as a strong haven for those who hate the Hornless, isn't welcoming of their kind

Give a bit of history and background, to explain why they've gravitated to this town in the first place. Perhaps they were drawn in by family, or developed a deep distrust for humans and sought to fight against them. Or maybe you're a Sech agent trying to work to destabilize the Selphia region as a vanguard for future actions? The sky's the limit.

Please, limit in power level to something befitting an NPC. Some can be fairly powerhouse (Like a town knight/guardian, for instance), but most people aren't going to be too powerful beyond racial abilities.

Please, keep it PG-13

No Gary or Mary Sues, no enemies of all (They'd be kicked out of town), and no dragon anythings.

The following character traits can only be accepted once (for plot reasons): Human-sympathizer, Local human, Loremaster (Librarian/extremely smart person), and political leader.

Application

**Full Name:**

**Gender (Physical)**

**Species (Elf, Univir, Dwarf, Goblin, ect.):**

**Age:**

**Birthday:**

**Physical Appearance (Build, Face, Hair, ect.): **

**Regular Clothing:**

**Bathing Suit:**

**Professional Attire (If relevant):**

**Items of Note (Weapons, Keepsakes, ect.):**

**Occupation:**

**Living Situation (Where do you sleep?):**

**Place of Work (Name):**

**Personality (In Paragraph form, if you please):**

**Talents:**

**Habits/Mannerisms:**

**Hobbies:**

**Fears:**

**Why are you in Sal Novo?:**

**Life Dream?:**

**Feeling toward Humanity (Jealousy? Hate? Superiority?):**

**Family? (Any local or story-relevant family members):**

**Personal History (Also in paragraph form, preferably at least two):**

**Friend-Type (What type of person are you friends with?):**

**Enemy-Type (What type of person do you somewhat dislike?):**

**Romantic-Type (What type of person makes your heart flutter?):**

**Introduction (What are you planning on doing when Micah meets you?)**


	2. Chp I: Into Shadows

**Chp. I: Into Shadows **

_Hungry_

The beast flew listlessly through the night, its dark form blending with the dark clouds, obscuring only the occasional moonbeam. Every night now, that single word, that desire, gnawed a little deeper in its mind, as it grew even longer since the last time it'd fed. Even then, the last meal had been dreadful; most of it it'd had to puke up, not that far from here… and what was left had long since been digested. There was other prey to be had though, and he was here to take it.

The creature glided a few lazy circles, burning eyes that glittered like stars looking down over their dwellings… sensing the delicious food within. Gently, it descended, the soft crack of a wooden arch muffled beneath its bulk, lids closing tightly over its eyes as the beak opened, a noise like a low howling wind emerging from its depths. It stood there, still as a statue, as it attempted to feed, the little humans still asleep in their beds, lost in whatever their dreams may be… that is, most of them. It dared not look, but from past experience, the air would be filled with ethereal, electric blue spheres, floating gently towards its outstretched, serpentine tongue. It could vainly remember the flavors of the last one… dirty and strong. Hopefully, these would be more… palatable.

And, as it'd hoped, he was soon greeted with a new flavor as the balls drifted onto its tongue, gently rolling down his throat to its stomach. The first were… sweet, warm and wholesome. Like fresh chocolate chip cookies. Then, something sour… as if it had yet to be ripened, who stuck to his taste buds and lazed their way down. A deep bitter, something juicy and savory, round and filling, another so rich it couldn't have stomached anymore, had the next set not been so airy and half-baked. And, with each one, the pangs of hunger grew duller and duller, until they were replaced by a content fullness.

The windy sound died down as it flapped its way back into the sky, careful not to make too much noise. Thankfully, it was able to think clearly again, its horn reflecting a stray shaft of moonlight as it finally got itself into full flight, returning to the long journey ahead of it. It would find its way home…

No matter what.

* * *

"BRO!"

The word echoed through the confines of the Sharance Tree and Micah shot up from his bed, reflexively reaching from his trusty platinum broadsword, half-swinging it before being met with a rather familiar set of pecs. Several questions ran through his mind as he examined the scene; Why was Carlos up this early in the morning? What had happened to his familiar chill, replaced with a look of panic? However, before he could say anything, he was greeted with another figure at his door, Hazel stomping in with a rather peterved look on her face. "Karina!" She shouted, tapping her foot. "You get out here right now!"

"Wait, what's going on?" Micah asked, pushing himself off his bed and letting his sword drop.

"Dude, focus!" Carlos grabbed his attention again with yet another shoulder shake, his other hand balled up with white knuckles. "We've got a huge problem! Carmen's missing! You've gotta help me!" A look of understanding dawned on Micah's face, though he was interrupted once again by Hazel.

"Small world," she acknowledged, growing slightly less tense. "Karina managed to get herself lost to… though I'm more surprised she actually got up for once. You don't suppose they went out together, do you?"

Micah, too polite to point out that they'd indeed woken him up in the morning, and he was still in his pajamas and most certainly not ready to take on any requests yet, gave a short yawn, straightening himself out. "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be fine." Well… Carmen would. Karina could barely manage a short walk by herself. "Shara might know something… honey," he placed a hand to his side, ready to shake his wife awake… only to hit empty covers, doing a double take and his mouth dropping open, as he saw Shara had disappeared too! "Huh? Ah eh," he chuckled nervously, a bead of sweat forming on the back of his neck. "She probably just got up to water the flowers." She did do that on occasion… though it usually involved waking him up in the process. "Now, if I could just…" he reached into the dresser, pulling off his pajama shirt as he started his daily routine, only to remember right before removing his bottom's Hazel was still standing there. "Can you check the square for me?" He asked, grateful when they finally left and allowed him to change in piece.

He arrived in front of Fantastic Flowers a few minutes later, only to see most of the village was arrayed around it. The garden gate that had decorated the district had been broke into so many splinters; Monica was clinging tightly to her grandfather's shoulders, whose face was deep with worry. Blaise had his hands in the folds of his coat, his face as blank as ever as he conversed with Sherman, who's daughters were flanking him, each looking rather pale as Carlos and Hazel hustled in from the east, Micah's heart dropping when he realized that Shara wasn't with them.

They looked at each other silently for a moment, before nervously running up to Micah. "Sorry bro…" Carlos rubbed the back of his neck, trying to act nonchalant. "But your lady's gone." There was something about the way her phrased it that made Micah's face gloss over, the way it sounded like a joke when it obviously wasn't. The tension was so thick you could cut it with knife, nobody daring to speak above a whisper as more and more of the town funneled in; Rusk bringing in the scent of the fresh bread he'd just taken out, Marjorie wiping the sleep from her eyes as her hyperactive granddaughter looked on with an oddly morbid awe. Micah could only capture bits and pieces of every conversation, trying to glean something, anything.

"… and then she didn't show up for breakfast." Blaise was explaining to Sherman

"Pia!" Shino's voice, then Sakuya 's, rang over the treetops, temporarily drowning out everything else.

"I'm surprised Gaius hasn't woken up yet. " Hazel mused, to nobody in particular

Then, speaking of the devil, the dwarven smith stumbled out of the Blacksmith's door, hammer in his hands as he looked blankly on the crowd, giving an innocent smile. "No Iron?" He seemed to ask, eyes quickly drifting back into a sleepy state.

The general chaos was just too much for Wells to handle, who taking on his leadership mantle, blew a shrill whistle, focusing everybody's attention on him. "Alright." He said, trying to sound as calm and authoritative as possible. "Let's get a village headcount. Everybody in line." He made a liner gesture with his hand, and after a short period of exchanged glances, everybody merged into the line; no real rhyme or reason, but it was quickly done. Shino and Sakuya arrived half a minute later and, seeing the formation and with a quick flick of Wells' wrist, they fell in as well. Their mayor started silently counting in his head, pointing to each of them individually as the villagers kept as still as possible; except Marian and Monica, the former chuckling and then wincing, and the later squeaking and then biting. Eventually, though, he finished… though judging from his brow, he wasn't happy.

"So… Shara, Raven, Collette, Karina, Pia, Carmen, and Daria aren't here." He said, having to pause at the beginning as if bracing himself. "Has anybody seen any of them?" He spoke directly, eyes flittering to either side, though nobody spoke up. A cold hand gripped down on Micah's heart… which caught on fire with a fighting spirit. He swore he'd never lose Shara again… not after last time. It was an insult to him as a person, as a husband, and as a guard. And it was one he wasn't going to take.

"I'll find them." He said, as if stating a fact, drawing the attention of the entire village. His eyes grew sharp, not daring to look up in case everybody's attention would cause him to chicken out. Instead of any argument, though, he got a slap on the back from Shino, a lot more force then you'd expect in her arms.

"Well, Micah to the rescue again, I suppose." She said, staying oddly close to his side.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Wells looked a little concerned, trying to straighten out his back for once. "You do so much already. Maybe we should contact the knights about…"

"No," he said, finally looking up and meeting faces with the remainder of the village. "I'm fine going. After all." He took a stronger pose, drawing his broadsword from the haversack. "How far could they possibly have gone? Just take care of the farm for me, alright?" He directed that comment at Wells, who gave him a solemn nod.

"Well, I won't stop you." He said, stepping to the side to open up a bath between Micah and the village gates. "Just don't get yourself too hurt out there, alright? We're counting on you."

His sack already filled, and riding the waves of the slow clap behind him, Micah, for the first time in awhile, found himself at the town gates, the old hinges creaking as he pushed them open, the path to the coast… and from there, anywhere in Norad he needed to go, beckoned for him.

She'd saved him when he was lost. It was only right he returned the favor.

* * *

Everything hurt.

The sun beat oppressively down on Micah's back , head swimming and body swaying unsteadily as he kept pushing himself forward. All he could really mange was a slow shuffle, the dry, flattened grass cracking as he moved. Everything was a bit hazy, his body having long ago run out of anything to sweat. Yet, despite that, every time he was about to flop over and rest, he spotted a wildflower growing on the roadside, and managed to get in one more step for Shara… two more steps for Shara… ten more steps for Shara.

He could see the tall, earthy grasses growing on either side of the road, which was only distinguished by the fact that the plants there were trampled down. He caught the faint scent of salt… though that could have just been him, his right leg starting to wobble every time he shifted. That was all he'd been seeing for days now, ever since… what had that village been named again? Tram-something. After he'd gotten out of the forests near there, slogged his way over some river, there'd just been these massive fields of grass and flowers. And that couldn't have been less than three days ago.

Now, he swore he was starting to see things. Was that Buffamoo on the horizon watch him? And that rippling on the horizon, that had to be heat wave. Then, it all struck him at once, his legs finally giving out when he tried to taken another step, his body tumbling limply forward as he landed face-first, the grass carpet thankfully cushioning his fall somewhat. He lay there for a brief moment, trying to recapture his breath, before weakly managing to push himself to his knees, arms shaking and eyes barely open. He was so thirsty, so hungry, so hot… so very, very hot. He tilted his head up, vainly hoping for rain, watching a single puffy cloud tease him, refusing to go in front of the sun. It looked so fluffy… like a big, cuddly wooly. He started laughing to himself, trying to reach up to give the wooly a big hug, only to tumble back down and start the whole process over again.

He was about to try to get that playful little thing for the 5th time when ,as he looked up, he spotted somebody else, further down the road. It had fluffy parts too, around its neck and wrists, and was holding out something for him. He crawled forward along the ground, arm out as if to grasp, a weak smile on his lips. Maybe this person could help him! "Water…" he rasped out, trying to make out exactly what this person looked like, but was instead greeted with a flash of light and a loud bang… followed by darkness.

**Author Notes: A prologue to smooth our way into the story. Thanks so much to Gianti-Faith and Silius1 for their well-fleshed out OC's: both are accepted and will be featured in the next chapter. As for the rest of you out there... we still have plenty of spots open, just as long as you don't want to be a librarian. **


	3. Chp II: A Monsterious Welcome

**Author Notes: Thank you to Luna543 and Shadowplayer360 for you additional OC's. You each receive one free virtual hug.**

**Felix and Mananz are my own OC's, so two virtual hugs for myself :P**

**Chp II: A Monstrous Welcome **

Phoenix was not happy.

She swore, when she had fired, she'd been aiming at a human; the lone, stumbling figure had been dressed in leather cloths, and her sharp eyes could make out a rounded tip to the ends of its ears. However, when the cracking echo of her shot had faded from the fields and the smoke dispersed from the barrel of her blunderbuss, that was not what she found at all. Laying on the path ahead of her, having fallen onto its back, was some sort of Wooly, is wool a fine gold, the knee covering in a slowly-expanding stain of red. There, as she ran forward to examine her victim, the cold, empty feeling she had steeled her mind with rapidly sank into her stomach like a stone, her mind racked with guilt.

"… _no." _she thought, turning her head away from the sight as she kneeled down next to the wooly, a weak bah escaping its mouth. _"I made a mistake…" _she mentally chastised herself, closing her eyes tightly as reached down, cradling the wounded monster against her chest, her eyes focused northward. "Don't worry… " she muttered, mostly to herself, turning off the main pathway; following a trail of partially trampled grass almost perpendicular to the road, using her left hand to push the tall, dry reeds away from her wounded charge.

It would have been faster to just fly… she knew that. However, she couldn't resist the comforting rays of the miday sun, her face relaxing as she took it in, and the gentle scent of flowers wafted up into her nose. It seemed to be coming, of all places, from the little wooly, causing a small smile to come onto her face. She diden't know what it was about that smell, the gentle sharpness of toyherb or the smooth warmth of a moondrop, but there was nothing in the world that made her more relaxed, her stomach slowly unwinding as nearly an hour passed by, the flatness slowly giving way to slopes in the ground.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted it; a gentle shaking in the grasses to her right, and low, harsh growling as it approached her, reflexively pulling the wooly closer to her chest as she watched it come… even if it had surprised her for a moment. Once it grew close enough, she could make out the blotches of dark purple peaking out through the grasses, and the sharp, slitted orange eyes settling on her arms, sharp teeth showing as the beast snarled at it, posing threateningly just out of arm's reach . However, Phoenix didn't seem the least bit phased, instead facing down the large wolf with almost a disinterest.

"With me." She stated flatly, gently lifting her arm as a gesture to the wooly, the wolf padding up to the girl and pushing her head up into the fur, taking deep, long smells of the little guy's scent, before pulling back and growling, her mouth contorting.

"He smells of human." The beast's voice was low and serious, but still distinctly feminine, her eyes brightening as she turned up to Ravan… her tail almost starting to wag. "And powder… where'd he come from." She nudged curiously at the unconscious body, causing it to let out a small sigh.

For a brief moment, Phoenix felt her skin run cold, her body shaking just enough to cause the fringes of her pink overcoat to move visibly. "I found him…" she muttered, the lie flowing past her mouth without much of a reaction. She pointed in the direction of the human road, the wolf turning her head in that direction, legs tightening as gave the horizon a scan, before turning back to the wooly, reaching up a paw to rapidly, somewhat roughly pet him.

"But nobody uses that road anymore…" she said, sounding only slightly concerned as she petted the wooly. "And who would want to hurt such a little cutey thing like this? Isen't he just the sweetest?" Her voice shifted into a giddy sing-song that caused Phoenix to wince and pull away, keeping the wooly close to her heart. This caused the wolf to look up at her curiously, tilting her head with the slightest ting of betrayal in her eyes. "What gives, Pheniox?" she asked, sounding slightly accusing.

The pink-haired huntresses wondered that same question herself, standing still for a few moments baffled at her own behavior. It had just been an… impulse, almost possessive. "Nothing…" she answered, shaking her head slightly. "Just let us past, Radiata."

Phoenix could swear the wolf's muzzle shifted to a knowing smile as she stepped to the side, head turned so it was looking behind them. "Alright then… you be safe now." She ordered, circling behind them, Phoenix walking on. However, she knew that, still on the job, Radiata had a wide, triumphant grin on her face, knowing she'd struck on of the young girl's sensitive nerves.

Not to far in the distance, the ground continued to grow lower and lower and the hill on either side higher and higher, slowly shifting from dry grasses to gritty dirt, sand, and rock; the gentle curves of the hills giving way to high canyon walls; the craggily formations on either side showing the age of this ancient rock. The others had tried to tell her its name once, in the ancient tongue, but it was the common name, The Crossing Castles, which stuck with her the most; the faint outline of a crumbling stone structures at their height visible as she and her load found their way into the canyon. The sound of her footsteps, clicking on the cracked stone walkway beneath her, and bouncing off the surrounding walls, echoed along the entire length, signaling her presence to those ahead. From above, she saw a figure poke its head out from the canyon rim, the cold, glint of drawn steel shining an annoying light into her eye the only thing distinguishable in the glare of the midday sun. However, as much as she wished to admire the scenery, she felt the breaths of the tiny creature in her arms growing slower and weaker, finding herself rushing down the canyon, past the guard station carved into the face and a passing elf, coming down a set of terraced stone stairs, her arms filled with a collection of books and scrolls. Hurtling forward with an almost reckless abandon, the girl tripped on the final step while trying to stop, tumbling to the ground and her collection scattering around her, glancing suprisedly at the rushing Phoenix. " Goodness." She said, almost sounding as if nothing had happened as she absentmindedly pulled together her books. "She's certainly lively today."

Phoenix passed through a marble arch, the stone road melding into a plaza just at the beach's edge, the tide lapping away in the background. Just off the plaza was a large building, with a crude what she'd assumed were stables not that far away. The front was wood, but one could see it was actually built into an older structure the joints and slots connecting it to much finer, weather-worn stone. She shifted the wooly into one arm as she opened the door, to be greeted with an empty dining room, the various bar-stools, tables, chairs, and massive pillows only dimly illuminated in the light of the overhanging lanterns and a flickering glow from around the corner, alongside the sizzle and clang of cooking. She started walking toward the stairs, only to be greeted by the sound of somebody clearing their trout. Behind the bar, a male univir, still in his race's tell-tale sapphire cloak and robes despite the season's heat, was lining clay flagons along the bar, a small, knowing smile on his lips as he looked over at her. She stopped just as she was taking the first stair to look at him, one more mug hitting the bar before he started to speak. "Going somewhere?" He asked casually.

She glanced down at the rather-comfortable bundle of wool at her chest, though her face was emotionless as always. "He needs help." She answered, the univir reaching for a white cloth, rubbing down the rims of flagons one by one. "Is she here?" It wasn't really a question, but she asked it like one, the univir's smile growing a bit wider as he chuckled, waving her along.

"Of course." He answered, continuing his work. "She's up there practicing. I always guaranteed our seagoing guests a good show. But I suppose I can give her a break for this." Phoenix, upon hearing this, starting to quickly climb of the stares, just to hear a joking call from downstairs. "Just don't keep her too long; I am running a business here." He joked, Phoenix knowing full well he wouldn't let a fellow monster come to harm. After all, he'd been hosting her free of charge for two weeks now, ever since she'd wandered in from the south herself.

Rushing down the coredoors, swollen wood planking on either side, she ran until she reached the far end, a soft, melodic voice coming from the opposite side of the door, singing beautiful words that tugged tight on her heartstrings… even if she couldn't understand a word of the tongue. The soft groans and moans of the golden creature in her hand seemed to fade away upon hearing it, snuggling his head against her chest and drifting off to sleep. However, despite how sacreligious it felt to open the door, Phoenix forced herself to, stepping uninvited in the chamber.

There wasen't much inside; woven rug at the door, a peg on it for cloths and such, a small writing desk in one corner, and curtain of dried reeds hanging over an open window to the ocean, the sound of waves crashing against the waves supplementing the wondrous song that had just been sounding. The source of it was lain out on a massive, thick pillow; the blue surface worn and faded but still solid, upon which a delicate girl sat, the breeze in the windows billowing her platinum blond hair and blue skirt softly, making her body look like it was draped in sky, her mouth freezing midword as she turned up her gaze from her lap, caring blue eyes settling on the injured figure in Phoenix's arms.

"Phoenix." Her voice dripped with worry, as she seemed to flow from her cushion, walking up to her and placing her hands over the blood-stained part of her leg, pushing the wool apart. "What happened to this poor soul?"

Phoenix looked to the side, towards the window… trying to hide the shame. "He's half…" she spoke around the question. "And the ears were round." She could almost feel the graceful lady's eyes turn down, lifting the wooly out of her hands and placing him into the cushion, the material parting around him as he sunk in.

She let out an airy sigh as she reached towards the writing desk, grasping in her hand a short, emerald tipped staff. "I know you're a kind soul at heart." She assured as she raised the staff over her patient, giving a small nod to Phoenix, as she focused herself , chanting something under her breath. Phoenix watched as the magic went to work, the soft, greenish-white light falling from her staff's gem in soft rays, giving the whole room and air of calm. The crude, roundish piece of metal rose up into the air, like a dandelion tuft, the rays settling on the wooly's skin before, finally, they stopped, the girl looking up at Phoenix with a serine smile. "He'll be fine by morning." She promised as she placed the creature back in the girl's arms, placing a hand on its forehead gingerly, twirling a sunlit girl before settling back down. "All he needs is rest to be well."

Phoenix looked her right in the eyes. "Thanks…" she whispered honestly, rocking the calm wooly in her arms as she stepped out of the room, stepping quietly so as not to wake him, and entering the room just to her right. With care, she set the golden wooly on great cushion, watching him sink into the softness as she stole one last floral whiff. She stole to the upstairs washroom for a moment, filling a clay flask with water before returning, gently lowering it to the wooly's lips. Sure enough, the creature started to slowly gulp it, Phoenix keeping it there until he was all done, and bringing him another. She really didn't want to leave, for some reason. Maybe it was his smell and softness, maybe it was this vague sense of comradee... but she gave him all the water he'd drink without a word, until she was interrupted by footfalls and voices from downstairs, and the droopiness of her own eye. "Sweet dreams," she whispered as she shut the door behind her, leaving the wooly asleep and content.

* * *

He awoke with the worst headache.

Micah's eyes slowly opened, still groggy after what must have been a poor night's sleep. He'd had the strangest dream, wooly versions of the village girls in a meadow, until somebody had came and shot an arrow at him... still, he felt fine now, and rolled himself face-up, ready to face a new day with a huge yawn and stretch.

He blinked once, then twice, before realizing he had no idea where he was. Why was this bed so unsteady? Why was his room so cramped? And who designed a room where half the wall was wood and the other stone? He placed a hand to his forehead, shaking it as he jumped down, his unconscious transformation not really worrying. Shara never seemed to mind having something so easy to cuddle in the middle of the night...

Shara! His mission popped back into his thoughts as he wandered to the door, his stomach growling in protest as he set his way out of the room. _Alright, food first_. He told himself, trying to keep a level head. After all, he diden't want a repeat of last... whenever. Honestly, he wasn't sure if it had even happened; everything had been so out-of-focus. It could have just as well been another dream. After all, his leg didn't feel THAT bad. At the end of the hallway, he came to another set of stairs. Yet, as he turned the corner, he almost bumped into a set of leg, quickly stopping himself and looking up to see a human girl, both of them quickly stopping as the looked at each other the girl backing up a few steps. Micah didn't remember ever seeing her before; she had a delicate complexion, a small, rounded face which seemed to be blushing and a small mouth which looked rather tight. She was wearing what looked like a white apron over an utterly plain white dress. Her hair was a fine, chestnut brown, cut to just below her ears except for a braid over her shoulder, and eyes he couldn't make out since they were directed at the floor, as she gave him a deep bow. "P..Pardon me sir." She squeaked her voice extremely soft. "Mannaz was not aware you had such importance business to attend to so early. Please forgive her." Micah just looked up at her, face blank as he found himself at a loss for words.

"Alright." was the one he finally settled on, offering a paw out to shake. "I'm Micah, by the way." He felt obligated to hive his name, since she'd apparently given him hers. Mannaz looked a little more relaxed, though she kept everything close to herself as she stepped to the side, allowing him to pass by her.

"Sir is too kind." she lawded as he passed her by, before hustling off down the hall, some type of feather duster in her hands. Not paying her much mind, he worked his way down the stairs; hoping since his legs weren't long enough to just walk, looking down on what had to be a tavern, half-druken glasses and plates from the previous night scattered to and fro. Through the front window, which made up about a third of the front wall, he could see the sun was just peeking over the horizon, half over the ocean and half over some sandy land rise. The smell of the cold rice, meat, and wine hung in the air, and the sight of a nearly-untouched plate of bamboo rice made his mouth start to water. _Nobody will miss it..._ something in his mind told him as he made it to the main floor, temping him to grab it.

"Look who's up," somebody suddenly said, a man emerging from a door on the far end of the room. Or, to be perfectly accurate, it was an Univir, a comb in his hand putting together his wavy blonde hair, a slight upturn to his lips. "You were in pretty bad shape yesterday. Some Hornless hunter must have gotten to you good." He walked up to the tables as if nothing had happened, starting to grab the plates and stacking them on top of one another, all the while looking at him.

"Hu?" Micah responded, confused. "But I feel just..." It was at that moment he finally caught sight of is own leg, and the dried blood that was crusted into his fur. But, it didn't hurt all all. Hu? He thought to himself again, before his stomach growled again, demanding food. "You don't happen to serve breakfast, do you?"

The univir disappeared around a corner, emerging a few moment later with his armful of dishes gone, going straight ahead to gathering another. "No dice, I'm afraid." he shrugged. "You're more than welcome to use the kitchen, but mornings are for cleaning up everything from the last night." He took a short sip from one of the glasses, before putting it with the others. on one of the plates he was using. "But where are my manners? Felix of line Khalazerin, at your service." He made a motion as though he was tipping a hat.

Micah couldn't help but be disappointed by the lack of food, but once Felix returned from dumping another load, he took a seat in one of the chairs. "My name is Micah," he said, genuinely friendly. He leaned back as Felix picked up a plate from in front of him, though Micah could tell he was still listening.

"Micah." Felix let the name linger on his tongue, as if trying it out for size. There was something refined about his voice... but casual too. "That's an interesting name or a wooly." He picked up the last of the dirty plates, setting his pile on the bar as he went behind it, pulling what looked like a thick scroll from the wine wrack, pulling ink an a quill out from somewhere beneath the bar to write with. "You planning on staying here any longer?" He asked after jotting down a few words.

"Well," Micah paused, though it wasn't like he hadn't dealt with this before. "I'm not quite sure where this is."

"Of course, of course," Felix interrupted the embarrassing moment. "You were out cold when you got here. Let me be the first to welcome you to Sal Novo, the only pure port on Adonea's north coast." He smiled a bit wider. "Well, there's Mannaz, but I'd hardly count her."

No sooner had the name been spoken then a rapid series of steps was heard from upstairs, the woman quickly dashing from her duties to the bar, flying into another low bow towards Felix. "Does this one's Horned Lord require her services?" Micah was beginning to wonder if she always spoke this softly.

He watched as Felix gathered his composure, giving a subtly ried look at the girl. "I've told you a dozen time. If I want you, I'll speak louder." He instructed sternly, waving her away. Mannaz grew even more ridged at this, trying to bow even lower as she backed away.

"Of course, my Lord." Her voice finally grew a little louder, though not by much. "This savage has a pathetic, primitive mind, but she will try her hardest to remember. You and sir continue." She beat a hasty retreat, Felix gently rubbing a temple before his casual smile returned.

"She just doesn't know when to stop, does she?" He commented, sneaking in the faintest of smiles with his look of annoyance. "But no matter how many times I ask, she just tells me it wouldn't be proper. Why, there was this one time..." He looked with concern at Micah, who's eyes and face had grown bright.

"Raven!" He shouted at the figure coming down the stairs, waving his paw in the air. The girl, her wide blue eyes staring right back, blinked, as she raised an eyebrow at her victim.

"Raven?" She said, confused. "I'm Phoenix."


End file.
